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California Tortoise-shell
Butterfly.--On the upper side deep fulvous, mottled with yellow, spotted and bordered with black. On the under side dark brown; pale on the outer half of the primaries, the entire surface marked with dark lines and fine striae. Expanse, 2.00-2.25 inches.
Early Stages.-The larva and chrysalis have been described by Henry Edwards in the "Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences," vol. v, p. 171. The caterpillar feeds upon Ceanothus thyrsiflorus.
This insect is a close ally of the European V. xanthomelas. It ranges from Colorado to California and as far north as Oregon.